Anxiety Treatment of Opioid Dependent Patients with Buprenorphine: A Randomized, Double-blind, Clinical Trial

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of vary doses of buprenorphine on anxiety symptoms in opioid-dependent inpatients over a 7 days period, using a randomized controlled trial design.

Patients were randomized to three groups.

Fourteen men who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria for both opioid use disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and were seeking for treatment.

Patients obtain dosages of 32 mg or 64 mg or 96 mg of buprenorphine as a single dose only and were treated in a psychiatric inpatient unit. Of 14 subjects; 5 (35.7%) obtained 32 mg, 4 (28.6%) obtained 64 mg, and 5 (35.7%) obtained 96 mg of buprenorphine.

Administering daily Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and interview.

All the patients ended the 7-day treatment time. The results showed a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms within each of the three groups (P = 0.00), but no difference in outcome between the groups (P = 0.605).

The outcome suggests a single high dose of buprenorphine can supply a speedy, safe, simple, and suitable means of anxiety treatment. The single high dose of buprenorphine could be a novel mechanism medication that provides a rapid and sustained improvement for generalized anxiety disorder in opioid dependent patients. Placebo-controlled trials of longer duration are needed to evaluate ability, safety, and psychological and physiological influence of extended exposure to this medication.